Seize The Grey wins 149th Preakness Stakes; Mystik Dan finishes 2nd
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 18: Jockey Jaime Torres celebrates after riding Seize the Grey #6 to win the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Seize The Grey won the 149th Preakness Stakes Saturday, closing at 9-1 odds, one of the longest shots on the board.
Mystik Dan, the winner of the Kentucky Derby, made a move late, but finished second in the field of eight horses running in the $2 million, 1 3/16-mile race.
It was a wire-to-wire victory for Seize The Grey, who led by several lengths at the ¾-mile mark, with Imagination trailing closely behind.
Mystik Dan and Imagination both crept up, and as much as Mystik Dan tried to maneuver past the leader, nothing worked. Seize The Grey crossed the finish line first.
D. Wayne Lukas, 88, became the oldest trainer to win the Preakness, his seventh victory in the race, one shy of Bob Baffert's record.
The original favorite, Muth, trained by the controversial Baffert, was scratched earlier this week due to a spiking fever. That led to Mystik Dan becoming the favorite in his quest to be the first Triple Crown winner since Justify in 2018.
Muth opened as the 8-5 favorite, ahead of Mystik Dan at 5-2 (he later closed at 2-1). Baffert said the horse was ruled out after reaching a temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit roughly 12 hours after arriving at the racecourse.
It was unknown for a bit whether Mystik Dan would run after his Kentucky Derby victory, but ownership decided he was good to go.
No one in the race’s 149-year history has saddled more horses in the Preakness than Lukas with 48 since debuting in 1980. He had two this time, with Just Steel finishing fifth.
Baffert was at Pimlico after missing his third straight Kentucky Derby due to suspension. He is slated to be back at Churchill Downs in 2025. His National Treasure won last year's Preakness.
The final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, will take place at Saratoga Race Course June 8.
Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read more of this story from FOX News.